Pinarello available in Halfords stores from today

Bike retailer to stock nine Pinarello road and city bikes in selected stores from today

If you go down to your local Halfords today, you might see a fleet of Pinarellos taking pride of place on the shop floor. Last month we reported on the news that bicycle retailer Halfords would be selling Pinarellos, the choice of Bradley Wiggins and his Team Sky outfit, and today marks the day when a range of nine road and city bikes will be available in selected branches of Halfords.

Halfords have worked with the Italian manufacturer on a select range of nine models, six road bikes and three city bikes. As of today, the Pinarello nine bike range will be sold in Halfords’ new stores in Chingford, Nuneaton and Farnborough. These new stores feature newly designed displays in what is described as a ‘bright and open interior’. If you don’t live near these stores, you will be able to buy online for a home delivery.

So, let’s take a look at the nine bikes they’ll be selling then. The range features bikes priced from £799 up to £2,549 with the equally priced FPQUATTRO and Rokh. The Rokh is based on the Kobh, a bike favoured by Team Sky for the rough roads and cobbles of races like Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but uses a lower modulus carbon fibre, 30-ton high modulus 12k. This is a bike aimed at the endurance/sportive market, as comfort is a key factor with the frame's design.

The FPQUATTRO is Pinarello’s mid-range bike, it sits beneath the Dogma and Paris in its lineup of models. It has the unique wavy forks that make Pinarello’s so distinctive, and has a frame made from 30-ton high modulus 12k weave carbon fibre with a tapered head tube and internal cable routing, two features that are found on the top-end Dogma. It’s a UCI approved model so it’s race-ready. Frame weight is a claimed 1,100g for a size 54cm.

The FPDUE (£2,349.99) has all the styling cues of the higher end models and includes a tapered head tube and wavy fork and seat stays. Cables are routed internally, and the carbon fibre used is of the 24-ton high modulus 12K weave variety. Frame weight is a little higher at 1,120g for a size 54.

The most affordable carbon Pinarello in the range is the FPUNO Carbon Veloce (£1,999.99). This frame is made from 24-ton high modulus uni-directional carbon fibre with a tapered head tube and the same wavy forks and seat stays as higher up the range, and the same sculpted head tube that gives the frame a muscular appearance.

Finally, the most affordable road bike in the range is the FPUNO Aluminium Tiagra. It’s made from 6061 T6 aluminium and the tubes are hydroformed to give the frame the Pinarello signature appearance, with carbon fibre seatstays and chainstays and fork. It even carries the similar asymmetric features on the frame and fork of the full carbon models higher up the range. It’s built with a full Shimano Tiagra 10-speed groupset.

For hitting the city streets the Catena Vintage is a chromoly framed fixed-wheel bike costing £799.99, with a very retro look.

Costing the same is the ‘Only the Brave’ a single speed that has a distinctive stepped top tube and kinked seat stays, owing something to the wavy forks and stays of the road bikes. It’s fitted with a flat handlebar and deep-section aluminium rims.

David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.

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mike_ibcyclist[64 posts]3 years ago

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Brave move by Pinarello. One can only think about Gucci and Pierre Cardin in the 70's. I hope they know what they're doing . . . surely they should have opened a Pinarello shop in the middle of London first - as per the Apple game plan and then let the lower end stuff leak into the high street?

Makes perfect sense: people dropping in to buy spark plugs will see the very same equipment that Bradley Wiggins used to win the Tour and the Olympics, and will make an impulse purchase. Like when they started selling high-end Wilson tennis rackets by the checkouts at Tesco when Tim Henman started being semi-successful.

personally I think its a stupid move by pinnarello, short term gains for long term loss ! the type of person that was buying the high end pinnarello bikes will now look at the brand in a different way it will lose a lot of loyal followers in this country and depreciate the value of the brand. just my opinion of course

the type of person that was buying the high end pinnarello bikes will now look at the brand in a different way it will lose a lot of loyal followers in this country and depreciate the value of the brand. just my opinion of course

But that's the thing, they're not selling the top-of-the-range Pinarello's in Halfords, just the entry-level to mid-range models. You can't get the Dogma 2 and such like in Halfords. And they're only selling them in three stores. You still have to go to shops like Bespoke and Sigma Sport to get this top-end bikes

Be interested to see this new presentation display of the bikes, anyone live near one of the branches care to pop in and take a look for us and report back?

What are the components like? Its all well and good spending 2.5k on a bike if you are getting decent components. But your better spending your money on a bike that doesn't have fancy front forks and a brand name that can get away with charging so much.

As has been said, this will inevitably drop the interest in those who want a Pinarello and can afford one. It's snobby to say, but people will look at them and rather than go WOW a Dogma, they will go ah is that from Halfords.
Why buy a bike of that standard from a car shop. I also cant see anyone popping in to buy £5 spark plugs, just impulse buying a £2k bike.

1) Halfords have sold entry level to mid range road bikes for years now and rarely have any issues.

2) The Boardman brand has grown every year since they started distributing with Halfords.

3) They also keep their 1.8k+ models in IBD's and their brand hasn't suffered at all (read the reviews, look at the numbers)

4) Although the vast majority of Halfords mechanics would easily be able to fit and set up a Pinner professionally and to a high standard (come meet us on the Ride Across Britain 2013 and you'll see first-hand), too many people are impatient and will often put the shop in a spot where a part timer will have to put the bike together NOW or go elsewhere as they don't want to wait it come back.

5) You have to remember a 2k Pinarello is still representing the entry to middle range of the road bike price range and they're not really hitting the high end market with any real effect. IBD's will lose very few high end sales over this move.

6) The 3 stores in question are more than equipped to sell Pinarello's.

7) Anyone who impulse buys a 2 grand bike is an idiot or has more money than sense. These people would quite possibly buy a Pinner from Tesco's if they had them.

8) If your local store isn't that knowledgeable or helpful, you're probably just unlucky but there are 500+ stores and to say all the rest are the same without having visited them would be a huge and unjustified generalisation.

the type of person that was buying the high end pinnarello bikes will now look at the brand in a different way it will lose a lot of loyal followers in this country and depreciate the value of the brand. just my opinion of course

But that's the thing, they're not selling the top-of-the-range Pinarello's in Halfords, just the entry-level to mid-range models. You can't get the Dogma 2 and such like in Halfords. And they're only selling them in three stores. You still have to go to shops like Bespoke and Sigma Sport to get this top-end bikes

Be interested to see this new presentation display of the bikes, anyone live near one of the branches care to pop in and take a look for us and report back?

In a way, to me at least, that makes it even worse. You can stock our brand but just cheaper stuff.

the type of person that was buying the high end pinnarello bikes will now look at the brand in a different way it will lose a lot of loyal followers in this country and depreciate the value of the brand. just my opinion of course

But that's the thing, they're not selling the top-of-the-range Pinarello's in Halfords, just the entry-level to mid-range models. You can't get the Dogma 2 and such like in Halfords. And they're only selling them in three stores. You still have to go to shops like Bespoke and Sigma Sport to get this top-end bikes

Be interested to see this new presentation display of the bikes, anyone live near one of the branches care to pop in and take a look for us and report back?

In a way, to me at least, that makes it even worse. You can stock our brand but just cheaper stuff.

Lack of trust?

Devaluing your lower and mid price bikes?

Either way it seems like a shot in the foot.

It just seems like a smart business move to me, and I can't see how it will devalue their brand image. But then, I'm not a Halfords Hater like most people here seem to be. Fact is, Halfords have a huge reach and sell a lot of bicycles in the UK, so works well for both parties. Give them a chance I reckon.

1) Halfords have sold entry level to mid range road bikes for years now and rarely have any issues.

2) The Boardman brand has grown every year since they started distributing with Halfords.

3) They also keep their 1.8k+ models in IBD's and their brand hasn't suffered at all (read the reviews, look at the numbers)

4) Although the vast majority of Halfords mechanics would easily be able to fit and set up a Pinner professionally and to a high standard (come meet us on the Ride Across Britain 2013 and you'll see first-hand), too many people are impatient and will often put the shop in a spot where a part timer will have to put the bike together NOW or go elsewhere as they don't want to wait it come back.

5) You have to remember a 2k Pinarello is still representing the entry to middle range of the road bike price range and they're not really hitting the high end market with any real effect. IBD's will lose very few high end sales over this move.

6) The 3 stores in question are more than equipped to sell Pinarello's.

7) Anyone who impulse buys a 2 grand bike is an idiot or has more money than sense. These people would quite possibly buy a Pinner from Tesco's if they had them.

8) If your local store isn't that knowledgeable or helpful, you're probably just unlucky but there are 500+ stores and to say all the rest are the same without having visited them would be a huge and unjustified generalisation.

Some good points as the share price suggests they are doing something right and I admire your loyalty.
But a couple of your comments are laughable, "The vast majority of halfords mechanics" etc, plus "if your local store isn't that knowledgeable or helpful, you're probably just unlucky", you are joking aren't you?

Ok maybe not the vast majority but there are quite a large percentage of stores including mine where you could bring in a 10k Di2 equipped Cervelo etc and not have to worry about a single thing. The sad thing is that there is a minority of stores where the guys just don't have the passion and the knowledge to deal with such things and it gives the rest a bad name.

I wasn't joking either I'm afraid. It sounds bad but because management and staff knowledge and passion in each store is so varied, you could have consistently awful service in one store but a trip to the next town could prove completely the opposite is true. I provide mechanical support for a lot of our corporate events and get to work with mechanics and sales managers from up and down the country and they all live and breathe cycling and are more than happy to share their knowledge and expertise. They are out there if you search around a bit, just sadly not in every store.

Obviously this isn't great and every store should be consistent but if these pilot stores work then every store will eventually get the same investment and it'll start to become more of a reality.

Halfords are the least of their worries. pina should be dealing with the fakes you can buy for £399 from china that to all but the pina mega fan are indistinguishable from a real one.

pinarello sorry to break it to you all arent anything special, just well marketed and priced in the 'it so expensive it must be good' catergory

the reason the chinese imports are so easily available is becasue pina are made in china. not a bad thing but if i were boffing 6k on a frame set i would want it hand crafted lovingly by Luigi in Bologne not made on a line next to a boardman and a Moda.

bikes for middle aged sportive riders with big wallets. and i salute pinarello for this. hell if i could whip up a brand and make 6.5k profit per frame then i would.

I'm as big a bike and bike shop snob as the next man, but there's surely nothing mechanically different between a £500 Boardman, Trek, Spesh etc and a £2.5k Pinarello. Any reasonably competent mechanic should be able to build one up and fettle it.

Maybe Di2 would be beyond a Halfords Saturday lad (or is it easier?), but none of these bikes have it. Where I've become especially wary is with suspension rebuilds on MTBs: I've had two expensive Cannondale Headshock rebuild disasters perpetrated by supposedly properly trained mechanics at very well known and reputable LBSs. Resorted to doing it myself 'cos at least I'll take my time and not stop until its right.

I'd like to knock Halfords, but they do seem to be selling better bikes and a better range of parts. They saved my bacon last Sunday when I snapped a chain...

Back on the bikes - the thing that looks wrong for me on these 'budget' Pinarellos are the R500 wheels. The steel single-speed looks gorgeous.

Ok maybe not the vast majority but there are quite a large percentage of stores including mine where you could bring in a 10k Di2 equipped Cervelo etc and not have to worry about a single thing. The sad thing is that there is a minority of stores where the guys just don't have the passion and the knowledge to deal with such things and it gives the rest a bad name.

I wasn't joking either I'm afraid. It sounds bad but because management and staff knowledge and passion in each store is so varied, you could have consistently awful service in one store but a trip to the next town could prove completely the opposite is true. I provide mechanical support for a lot of our corporate events and get to work with mechanics and sales managers from up and down the country and they all live and breathe cycling and are more than happy to share their knowledge and expertise. They are out there if you search around a bit, just sadly not in every store.

Obviously this isn't great and every store should be consistent but if these pilot stores work then every store will eventually get the same investment and it'll start to become more of a reality.

Like you(some years ago)I worked at halfords and saw the various grand projects and new dawns come and go. The product is getting better, and there are some excellent cycle people, but your own words prove my point, "they are out there if you search around a bit".
Look I'm not looking for a row and I'm glad you are happy but I consider myself lucky to have been offered a good redundancy and escaped back to the independents. The guy who took over from me had no supervisory skills, never owned a bike in his adult life but was willing to fit wiper blades, accept almost half my wage and poorer conditions. Good luck!

I rode on the Deloitte Ride Across Britain and we were supported by Halfords mechanics. I have to say they were all dedicated and knew their stuff. My understanding of Halfords was that they aimed themselves at the low/commercial end of the market. I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were. But it does not surprise me if they have problems keeping these people.

I have to agree with Super Domestique. Perhaps it's an astute business move by Pinerello, but the brand image will change as a result (it already has for me). Look at Boardman's: we all know they are very good bikes at a very good price, but most serious road bike fans will avoid them simply because of the brand association with Halfords and C2W. It may be silly, but it's how it is.

Halfords are the least of their worries. pina should be dealing with the fakes you can buy for £399 from china that to all but the pina mega fan are indistinguishable from a real one.

pinarello sorry to break it to you all arent anything special, just well marketed and priced in the 'it so expensive it must be good' catergory

the reason the chinese imports are so easily available is becasue pina are made in china. not a bad thing but if i were boffing 6k on a frame set i would want it hand crafted lovingly by Luigi in Bologne not made on a line next to a boardman and a Moda.

bikes for middle aged sportive riders with big wallets. and i salute pinarello for this. hell if i could whip up a brand and make 6.5k profit per frame then i would.

+1 , you've hit the nail on the head re Pinarello. I wouldn't be a fan of the brand as it trades heavily on it's Italian heritage (and charges handsomely for it) but the reality is somewhat different.

... if i could whip up a brand and make 6.5k profit per frame then i would.

Your argument is interesting but emotive rather than factual or accurate. Anybody who could make 6.5k profit on a 6k item would! Come on guys, dont get so emotive over who sells a bike, if you like the bike then buy it and decide which store you buy it from. Simple. Just because someone else buys a cheaper model from the same manufacturer in a different shop doesn't suddenly make your purchase less valuable (unless you bought it as a status symbol rather than as a bike to ride and enjoy).

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out, I can see it being quite good for Pinarello in the long run though. Traditionally, it seems that large amount of Pinarello buyer is the sort of customer who buys into the prestige of the brand, like someone who would choose and Aston Martin or a Ferrari wants pay more for the exclusivity. I'm sure these types of buyers will be put off with a broader marketing of the brand, but while these guys drop a sizeable chunk on a single frame it's not going to make Pinarello rich in the same way that Specialized are, making money hand over fist with sales of £400 hybrids all the way up to S-Works Tarmacs. Who can deny Pinarello a slice of that kind of cake? We'll be seeing a fair few 2nd hand Dogmas for sale in the next year or two I think, one the "prestige" riders move elsewhere.

I think the reason for such a high interest in this story is that it's a case of the big boys flexing their financial clout. I don,t blame pinarello wanting to capitalise on the success of the team sky thing and to sell more entry level bikes in the uk however I have an issue with the choice of retailer. If i we're an independent piña dealer I would be so mad about this. At least give the independent network a chance to captilise on the high profile of the brand at the moment. Short term it makes sense for pinarello but long term there will be a lot of bridges burnt with the dealer network. Pinarello really know how to make money, they make the cheapest bikes, spend the most on marketing and then charge the most for them. Very clever company but I feel this may backfire.

Are any of these frames available through the existing dealer network or have they made these specifically for the their new target market? I don't remember seeing any FPUNO's last time I was in Sigma Sports.